Everyone knows that studios aren’t really interested in “movies” anymore, and what really gets their boners firm is a “franchise,” a group of related movies they can pump out and get a snoot full of that sweet ancillary revenue. So with Godzillaearning $196 million its first weekend out, a sequel was all but inevitable. And it was confirmed to Deadline yesterday. Nature finds a way.

As for possible subject matter, there was a Mothra reference in the film, which seems like an obvious direction for a sequel. MTV spoke to screenwriter Max Borenstein:

And what about a certain Easter Egg in the movie? During one scene, briefly glimpsed in the foreground is an empty aquarium with an open chrysalis. A marking on masking tape notes that the occupant of the tank was named Mothra.

“I can’t say the Mothra Easter Egg is an indication of any specific plans for Mothra, though everyone has a fondness – I know I speak for Gareth, and I speak for Legendary – everyone has a great fondness for all the Toho characters,” Borenstein said.

The Mutos rampaged around Earth looking for nuke food, maybe Mothra will flap around eating up all the wool factories until someone covers them with cedar planks (apparently moths hate cedar, I learned that at Bed Bath). Sounds fun, but it may be tough to pull off the sort of slow build that made this Godzilla reasonably enjoyable, now that the characters all know about monsters. They’ll have to write it without the “discovery” angle.

In the meantime, I think we all know who the real “alpha predator” is around these parts. BANAAAAAA! BAAAANAAAA! (*stomps around apartment, knocks over coffee table*)

Personally, I can’t believe how great a job they did with the new kaiju in this ‘Godzilla’ movie. Awesome concept of eating radioactivity to survive and having a male and female monster for Godzilla to stop is pretty creative after 25 freaking movies. I also like that they went back to good guy Godzilla… because let’s be serious; if i’m watching one of these movies, i care FAR MORE about the big guy than the stupid human race.